Report: Hot Blade 2021

Helicopters fly in formation during a Hot Blade 2021 training activity (photo credit: Joris van Boven).

The Hot Blade 2021 (HB2021) is the 15th helicopter exercise organized under the European Defense Agency (EDA) Helicopter Exercise Program and the 5th edition conducted by the Portuguese Air Force Air Command. This exercise was held between June 16th and June 30th 2021.

The participating forces deployed at Air Base No. 11, Beja (ICAO code:LPBJ), and the missions were planned for the central and south of Portugal, with the concern of reducing their impact on the environment and population.

Participating will fly diverse day and night COMAO (Composite Air Operations) missions and execute, among others:

- Air Assault;
- Special Operations Aviation (e.g. fast rope techniques; insertion/extraction and air-to-surface firing);
- Combat Service Support;
- Close Air Support;
- Convoy/helicopter escorts;
- Reconnaissance and Surveillance;
- Combat Search and Rescue;
- Personnel Recovery;
- Medical Evacuation and Casualty Evacuation.

The HB2021 allowed aircrews to practice operations in a variety of environments, reproducing challenging conditions that participating forces can encounter in real theaters of operation.

The HB2021 exercise consists of one daily common COMAO flight in the afternoon or the evening. Before or after these common flights, the participating countries can fly their own local missions in the various target areas over Portugal.

HOT BLADE 2021 will also provide opportunities to practice multinational and national formation and training with the Special Operations Forces (SOF) units (infiltration and exfiltration) and enhance crews’ skills in using the HEP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and COMAO planning procedures in the conduct of flight planning and operations.

Background

The Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) is part of EDA’s wider helicopter portfolio aimed at providing Member States with a joint European framework to develop, consolidate and share best practices to meet the challenges of flying helicopters in a modern operational environment. Other components of this portfolio are the Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC) programme, the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC) programme and the future Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC).

Participating aircraft and helicopters

Country	Type	Unit
Portugal	AW119 Koala	Squadron 552 “Zangões
Portugal	EH-101 Merlin	Squadron 751 “Pumas”
Portugal	F-16M	Squadron 201 "Falcões" Squadron 301 "Jaguares"
Portugal	P-3C CUP+	Squadron 601 “Lobos”
the Netherlands	CH-47 Chinook	Squadron 298
the Netherlands	AS-532U2 Cougar	Squadron 300
Austria	PC7	Airplane Training Squadron
Austria	OH-58 Kiowa	Light Utility Helicopter Squadron
Slovenia	AS-532	15 Helicopter Battalion

Dutch helicopter detachment

Capt. “SIMBA”, a CH-47 Pilot Flight Commander (298 squadron) with some 1700 hours, had the role of ‘Chief Air Operations’ during the exercise

The aims and expectations of this exercise were: Safe execution of multinational collaboration during Composite Air Operations (COMAO) and successfully complete the Qualification Training (QT) Degraded Visual Environment (DVE)landings for the Dutch Cougar and Chinook crews.

During this exercise, the most special demand for this exercise was the fact that they required Hot-refueling on Beja AB and on FOB Tancos. Therefore we needed extra Portuguese and Dutch POL and fire rescue support.

The Dutch S3Air detachment consisted of approximately 66 participants. Of them there are 30 pilots, 25 loadmasters, 11 persons mission support. Every pilot and loadmaster must be type rated and have finished the Mission Qualification Training. Depending on the lead tasks given to the pilots during the COMAO some need to have finished the Pilot In Command QT, Section Lead QT, Flight Lead QT.

In total the Dutch helicopters participated 46 times with Cougars and Chinooks in the COMAO and we flew 45 DVE training missions.

Capt. “SIMBA” described the support of the Portuguese Air force as incredible. It is very impressive how fast Beja is able to host all these countries, definitely during this pandemic.

Quote from Capt. “SIMBA” about the exercise: “Let’s go Bladers!”